HOW OFFICIALS MAKE PREDICTIONS FOR THE FLU SEASON

Posted January 19, 2018

Ever wonder how officials make predictions on an upcoming flu season or how particular flu vaccines are chosen? There are ongoing surveillance sites around the world collecting samples from people who have the flu. This information is then submitted to a central panel organized by the WHO (World Health Organization). Then the WHO, based on the data collected from these different sites, makes predictions about which strains of the flu are most likely to be circulated the following year. Flu vaccines are manufactured in response to those predictions.

Another thing that U.S. officials historically look to for predictive value is what happened in Australia during its flu season. Since Australia’s flu season takes place before ours, during what would be our summer months, officials often look to what particular strands of the flu virus are prevalent in Australia during their season, as well as the severity of their flu season, to make predictions on the upcoming season within the United States.

Despite these efforts, the flu virus is notoriously unpredictable and in some cases flu shots can result in significant injury. If you or a loved one sustained an injury or started experiencing symptoms after receiving the flu shot, please contact our Vaccine Injury Attorneys as you may be entitled to compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). Our firm is experienced in litigating vaccine injury claims on behalf of those suffering these types of injuries.